The King
by shinelrond
Summary: A look at Gil-galad, his life and family
1. Default Chapter

The news came early in the morn that day of what had happened. Coming with tears still fresh in their eyes, the messengers told of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad*. I thought the name very true for many of our people felt the pain of that battle, I myself included.  
  
"He fought very valiantly, Ereinion*, one does not easily defeat a Balrog, let alone Gothmog*." That seemed all everyone could tell me, how brave he was, how well he fought, how he slew the mighty Gothmog. No one ever said clear to my face, your father is dead.  
  
I had not seen my father in what seemed ages, he sent me to the havens when I was a child to protect me. My mother had been killed in one of the many battles of that age, maybe that was why he sent me.  
  
"Cirdan will keep you well, do not worry my son. When Morgoth is defeated, we will be reunited and peace will come to our people." He had told me gently. I was so young, I didn't truly understand the concept of war and death, of kingship and ruling. I understood the concept of family, though. I didn't know why my father was sending me away.  
  
I had spent three short years with my mother and eight with my father. In the time of elves, these years would go by in the blink of an eye. And they did. More than half of my life had been spent without the feel of family. More than half of my life had been spent waiting for news that the wars were over, that Morgoth was dead and I could see my father again. Instead, I learned that the many alliances formed to do just that, were in vain and Morgoth remained undefeated.  
  
Cirdan looked out for me and kept me safe, bound to a promise he made to my father. But he was not kin. Not to me.  
  
Being 26 when this happened, I was considered too young by the elves to rule, so my uncle took up the crown. But Morgoth came to know of Gondolin, the city unknown to many where Turgon, my uncle dwelt, through the torture of Maeglin. Gondolin fell and with it, my uncle. I was unaware of any family of mine that still lived existing beyond him when I took up the crown. I did not know of my cousin Idril* or her husband...or their son. It was a short while ere Tuor* grew weary of the mouths of Sirion*, where I dwelt as well, and sailed to the west. When they sailed west, Idril and Tuors son took up lordship of Sirion. Earendil, he was called. It was shortly before he went to sail west that I learned of our relation. But I never truly came to know him because he sought the help of the Valar against Morgoth. I grew to dislike him though, despite his valiant effort. Earendil left behind a wife and two children. When Maglor* sacked the mouths of Sirion to find the Silmaril bound to Elwing, Earendils wife, she was forced to leave their children as well.  
  
I lost track of the boys* then in the commotion, but fortunately, I stumbled upon them when many were fleeing the city. They were hiding in a cave, but I heard splashing. The younger one, Elros, was playing in the water near a waterfall even as his brother tried to silence him.  
  
"Peredhil?" Elrond looked up from his brother, a panicked look was in his eye.  
  
"Run Elros!" He shouted to his little brother.  
  
"Wait, I am not under Maglors command, nor am I bound to their greed for the Silmarils." Elrond looked up from his sopping brother and finally noticed who I was.  
  
"King Ereinion!" He exclaimed happily. Elrond brought his brother from the waters and came to me, a smile filled with great weariness covered his face. "I thought you might have been slain in the sacking."  
  
"You have little faith in your King." I smiled down at the child who began to shake with cold as did his brother.  
  
"Come, let us get you some dry clothing and perhaps some food and drink." I brought them both into my arms and carried them from the cave. I was amazed at how light they were to bare. They were tired, and obviously had gone without food for days, so I took it upon myself to watch over the two children, just until they were strong enough to care for themselves, of course.  
  
  
  
Nirnaeth Arnoediad* was the battle which the Noldor, allied with the Edain attempted to overthrow Morgoth, but did not succeed. It means unnumbered tears or the battle of unnumbered tears. During this battle, Erenion*s, the name Gil-galad was actually first given, father was killed by Gothmog*, the lord of Balrog demons.  
  
Idril* was the daughter of Turgon, making her Gil-galads cousin. She married Tuor, A messenger(with a whole big back story that is not all that important to Gil-galad at the moment, so I'm not gonna say anything about him.) The had a son named Earendil the mariner. Idril and Tuor were half- elven, so therefor Earendil was as well. He married Elwing who was also half-elven making their sons half-elven as well.  
  
The Boys* of Earendil and Elwing were technically closer to 50 years of age when the sack of the mouths of Sirion occurred.(all dates according to the encyclopedia of arda) Phew.  
  
Any mistakes, which I'm sure there are many, I'm sorry for but I'm trying to keep this all straight for the sake of a semi-good Gil-galad fic.  
  
I've taken some poetic license with this fic because I had to, I have found no info on Gil-galads mother, I dunno, he just popped out of thin air :)  
  
I know this is lots of history, but I had to throw it in to show that he was pretty much alone for most of his life. 


	2. The Princes

"Wait, so...why did they want them?" Elrond asked Gil-galad as he struggled to keep up with the taller elf.  
  
"They took the same vow as their father and...I'm still slightly unclear on the whole thing myself. Why would you make a vow that would, in the end, destroy you?" Gil-galad pondered as Elrond hung upon his every word.  
  
"I would." The boy said as he stared off for a moment. Gil-galad cocked an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"If I were given the chance to perhaps save my mother, or stop the sack of the mouth of Sirion entirely, I would do it, but not for a stone, even one that bore such beauty." Gil-galad considered him for a moment.  
  
"You have good heart, Peredhil." He laid hand upon the boys head ere he pushed him gently up to the encampment.  
  
More than two years had passed since the sacking and Gil-galad still could not convince himself that the boys would be safe and able to care for themselves. At the moment, they were staying in a camp outside the mouth of Sirion for it was still being rebuilt*.  
  
When they reached the outer rim of the encampment, another child and a man came running up.  
  
Ondiel was one of the few people Gil-galad trusted enough to call friend. He was also his assistant of sorts which meant that when Gil-galad could not be with the boys, Ondiel would be, as he was now. The boy was Elros who ran happily into Gil-galads arms. He picked up the child and continued into the camp. Ondiel gave him a look as he hugged Elros.  
  
"And what have you been up too today, young one?" Gil-galad asked of Elros.  
  
"Studying and learning." Elros absentmindedly replied as he looked back at the camp.  
  
"And Why are you doing that." He wanted the children, mainly Elros, to know that knowledge was power and possessing it placed you above others who looked upon their wealth as powerful.  
  
"Because it makes you bored." Gil-galad laughed heartily. One could not expect a child to grasp the concept of purpose at the start. Ondiel watched his friend with a look of amusement and happiness.  
  
Few things brought about such good moods in the King as his little Princes, so he called them, did. Elrond made him proud for his thirst for knowledge brought him often to the Kings side. The Elder of the two was as an adult, partly because of all the harshness he had witnessed in the world and partly because he could be included in their conversations without need of explanation, for his mind was very advanced and his memory, sharp as a new blade. Elros, on the other hand, could make the king smile and laugh with little more than a well timed comment. He was pure of heart and loved sword play, he had even once beaten one of the kings men in a fair combat. The Princes simply astounded Gil-galad as he astounded them.  
  
In their short span of life close to each other, Gil-galad had become as a father to them. One who dared to harm them put his life at risk. The King sought to teach them all he could and, though none save Ondiel knew, Gil- galad often sang Elros to sleep. He soothed Elrond back to sleep when he was awakened by nightmare created by the vision of his mother leaping to a certain death. The King held his Princes as though they were his own  
  
Okay, main thing, I switched it from Gil-galads point of view because I can't work myself into his mind well enough to deliver a good fic, so, sorry for that first of all.  
  
At the moment, they were staying in a camp outside the mouth of Sirion for it was still being rebuilt *- Poetic license coming into play. As I understand it( do not quote me, I could very well be wrong), Gil-galad was dwelling in the mouths of Sirion at the time of its sacking and dwelled there until he founded Lindon after the first age and after all of Beleriand was destroyed, including Sirion, so the guy had to move. My point? I have yet to hear of Sirion being rebuilt, just assuming for all people out there strong enough in mind to keep this all straight.  
  
To Nemis, You keep yours going and I'll keep mine going.  
  
More soon, sorry for the shortness, I intended to have this chap be longer but it's 2 AM as I finish this, so hopefully the next one'll be longer. 


	3. A Family Tie

A warm wind born by the bay rustled the hair of the elven King as he watched the suns light die. The child that slept in his lap stirred slightly but did not wake as Gil-galad spread his cloak over him.  
  
"Elros is going to have to have someone place some sense in his head." Elrond said quietly as he nudged a little closer to Gil-galad on the log on which they sat.  
  
"He was just attempting not to show weakness." The King said as he placed his arm around the sleeping child. "He does it for you, you know." Elrond smiled at this.  
  
"He does it to impress you. Elros is well aware that he does not excel in his studies but he knows he does when it comes down to shows of strength and bravery." Elrond said, looking down at his little brother. A feeling, or maybe a thought, that often stirred itself in Elrond when he was with his Lord came upon him and for no reason whatsoever he voiced it.  
  
"We are very much alike, are we not?" Gil-galad looked down at his Prince.  
  
"That we are." He replied with a small nod.  
  
"Did you know your parents well?" Elronds question stung the King but he voiced no anger.  
  
"Not as well as I wish I had. I was many years younger than you when I lost them."  
  
"Does it bother you?"  
  
"It saddens me." Elrond asked no more questions after this and after a reasonable amount of silence between them, Gil-galad spoke. "Why do you ask such things, Elrond? Does not knowing your parents sadden you?"  
  
"In a way. I did know my parents, atar*." He whispered, his voice was quiet and it seemed to Gil-galad that it was cracking, but what he had just called him overrode his worry. "I knew my father's face and my mothers. Their temperaments, their moods, everything." The worry returned as Gil- galad watched a tear slip down the child's face. "And you do not know how it pains me to call you My Atar. Elros doesn't feel it because he never knew them all that well because he was too young, you are the only one he has ever known." Gil-galad was slightly hurt by the boys confession.  
  
"Do you not wish for my care then?" His grip on Elros tightened slightly. Gil-galad knew fully that he had a claim on the children, they were his kin, the only he knew of that were still in Middle-Earth. But he would not force them to stay in his care, never would he force them or hurt them, not because they were his kin through blood but because they were his sons through heart and mind.  
  
"I wish never to be from your care and I wish that Elros will never be from your care. You are more than the elf who cares for us. You teach us, worry over us...you are our atar." Gil-galad was confused.  
  
"Why, then, do you bring this up?"  
  
"I wanted to thank you for doing what you needn't have. I wanted to tell you that we are bound together as family. I wanted to let you know that I will never leave your side, through the darkest battles to the lightest celebrations." Gil-galad placed his other arm around the boy as Elrond cried silently into his chest. The child had just promised his life to him, be it as his King or his father, and it was no light thing.  
  
"I will not hold you to your promise, hina*. You are still the son of Earendil and Elwing who are still the parents of your brother."  
  
"If you will not allow this of me for my father then you cannot refuse it as my King." It was true, an elf could choose to bind themselves to their king if they would. Such elves made up the Kings escort*.  
  
Though the thought of his Prince following him into battle mad Gil-galad worry, he did not refuse him and rarely was the King separated from him after that night.  
  
It was a short time ere Elrond was called to stand by his promise for his father had succeeded and from the west came a great force to assist in the fight against Morgoth. Gil-galad was never alone, no matter where he was or what field of battle he stood upon.  
  
"My Lord Gil-galad!" Elrond, who had grown slightly but still seemed to Gil- galad a boy, called to him. "It is the land, it goes to the sea!" Gil-galad came to stand next to him and watched in disbelief as Beleriand was slowly covered with water. A great panic arose within him for he had left Elros with Ondiel while he and Elrond had gone to Ered Luin* to ambush a troop of orcs that were reported to be traveling to lake Helevorn*. That was close to two months ago and Gil-galad now stood with his eldest Prince, watching as lava erupted from fissures that formed in seconds and were swallowed by the ocean in as short a time.  
  
The orcs about them stopped as well to watch Beleriand sink. When it was no longer visible beneath the waves, the orcs let up a great cheer but were quickly silenced as the elves about them slew them in a desperate anger fueled by sadness. After a long while of silence, one of the elves spoke to Gil-galad. "My Lord, what do we do?" He recieved no answer, however, as his King stared at the waves that now lapped at a coastline that was a only a few hundred feet from the base of the mountain.  
  
Atar-Father in Quenya(for the record, quote me on nothing.)  
  
Hina-Child in Quenya  
  
I used Quenya despite the fact that Sindarin was more commonly used to create a sense that using the titles with each other was important and meant a great deal to them.  
  
*Poetic license coming into play, I have absolutely no proof that he could deny Elrond either way, I just thought that since technically, Gil-galad is not his father that he could make no binding promise to him that way but no one could say that he was not his King thus making the promise more concrete. Or so I think:}  
  
Ered Luin-The Blue Mountains. They survived the sinking of Beleriand and are now pretty much on the coastline of Middle-Earth.  
  
Lake Helevorn was below Mount Rerir in the Blue Mountains. 


	4. Found Again

How long they had been traveling or how far they had gone, he did not know. A deep chill and emptiness had taken up residence within him. A pain he recognized from the day he had learned of his fathers death…the day he had seen his mother slain upon the battle field*.  
  
He and Elrond had been traveling for weeks and still they saw no sign of Ondiel or Elros. Gil-galad had not slept in that time, to afraid that if he did he would be too late. His exhaustion would have gotten the better of him if every time he looked back, Elrond was not there, but he always was, keeping a slightly slower pace behind his King. Gil-galad drew from his strength and pressed on every time despair came to him.  
  
They came upon a small camp of elves from Beleriand, all of which looked very depressed. They seemed uplifted at the sight of their King but Gil- galad learned that of all the parents there, non had escaped with their children. When it was decided that they would stay at the encampment for the night, Gil-galad found a solitary place to go and asked that he be left alone.  
  
"Elbereth, I beg thee to help us. I know that we have asked for much and you have given as much as you could, but I ask you now, help us." It was a whispered plea to the Lady. Maybe it was for less than to help them all… "Return them to me, return him to me, do not allow him to be lost like so many others." Gil-galad was seldom found on his knees, begging, but he was desperate. He had only asked such things of Elbereth when he had been separated from his father.  
  
Gil-galad returned to the camp to find Elrond curled up by the fire, his lengthy frame compacted to a ball as he had drawn his legs up to his chest. Spreading his cloak over the boy, Gil-galad sat down next to him and finally allowed sleep to bring him down.  
  
The next day, the King and his Prince set out once more in search of the younger brother. It was not long ere they came upon a group of travelers, also former inhabitants of Beleriand. Often they met such elves along their way but Elrond paid special attention to this band for he heard the familiar voices of an annoyed elf and an impatient younger elf. Gil-galad heard it as well and with a look to his Prince, ran to the group.  
  
"Elros!" They shouted in unison. When they came close enough, Gil-galad saw a younger elf clinging to the cloak of an older elf, staring in their direction. His face lit up as did Gil-galad's and Elrond's when they recognized each other.  
  
"Ereinion!" Elros cried out, the brothers had always liked using his first name when it mattered to no one but them. The older elf looked up to see Gil-galad as well.  
  
"My King!" He was beaten to Gil-galad by Elros who sped from him to his brother and King. Ondiel stopped short of reaching the King when he saw him embracing the two younger elves.  
  
"Elbereth be thanked." Gil-galad whispered as a look of serenity came over his face.  
  
Within a few months, it was made official that the first age was over. It was not the only thing that was over, for the half-elven had to choose now which race they would belong to. Gil-galad paced constantly and was ever present with the boys for he feared separation from them. Feared that his Princes would grow to be Kings and leave his guidance and protection. Elrond was not drawn to the life of a man and kept his promise to remain by his Kings side forever. Elros, however, was swayed to the mortal life.  
  
"I know it seems the wrong choice."  
  
"It does not seem, it is." Gil-galad said as he looked down at the boy with hard eyes.  
  
"But it is mine to make, wrong or not. Thank you, my King." Gil-galad stooped and hugged the child, now of the second born, now no longer under his kingship. "I love you, my atar." Those were the last words Gil-galad heard from his prince ere he left to claim a land of his own, young as he was.  
  
'But he isn't young' Gil-galad thought to himself.  
  
Over the next few years, Gil-galad saw his eldest Prince grow fully of age, the confusion of his body now resolved as it grew to a tall, slender elf. He also, much more noticeably, saw Elros mature into a man, thicker than his bother and King but with the fairness of an elven face. What startled him most was the beard, something he never grew used to when he looked at his youngest prince, now much older. The separation was made truly official when Elros sailed to the land of the second born, Númenor.  
  
Ondiel became concerned for Gil-galad now rarely ate full meals or slept full nights. If the burden of his crown was not enough to break his shoulders, then the loss of his youngest prince surely was.  
  
Gil-galad took his mind from the passing of his youngest prince when he created a haven in Lindon, followed by Elrond, he dwelt there, ruling over the elves and ever anxiously awaiting news from Númenor.  
  
*Poetic license, I know squat about his mom.  
  
K, this chap was kinda fast forwarded cause I had to cover lots of things with the half-elven's choice and Elros' sailing. I liked the contrast of his gaining Elros as a child and loosing him as an adult, still, poor Gil- galad.  
  
Review! I live off them! 


End file.
